I had my ED cranked on my SMS rig a few weeks ago. Nothing like how I usually use it. Really just being funny. It was no where near some of the over-distorted stuff you hear guys play. This young guy was like "Rad. What kinda wicked distortion machine are you playin'?" Some folks are playing with so much dirt in the signal there is no tone definition. You can hear the note change, but you can't tell where it went.

I guess my point is...if you start clean & layer effects ...you can get anywhere. Of course...that is a self-justification for spending serious cash on my Jerry stuff.

My Sh*& is better than yer Sh*&! So what yerz goes to 11, I've got a Mutron!

Rick Turner wrote:The journey itself is the goal, and it has no end. The trick is to get on the journey in the first place.

exactly... and that was kind of my point, riffin on what you had said. Whether it's the music, or the tone... the quest is what it's about. So many players are looking for an end state... whether that's SRV, EVH, or Jerry, but that's just a place to point your compass. The knowledge and experience that you get along the way is what's important... and for most of us we use all that gain to dial into ourselves.

Ahh, another time travel portal to the past! Top photo at at the infamous Chicken Ranch (I can't tell if that's Frank Fuller or Ron...that was Frank's bench to the guy's immediate right; mine to the right of that), lower left photo taken in the back electronics lab section of 60 Brady St., lower right being the Pretzel guitar with it's final pickups/electronics setup.

Note my comments re. strings in the article. I have gotten to participate in the design of one type of bass string set...what are now sold as the Thomastik-Infeld acoustic bass strings and that I use on my Renaissance instruments. They're like oversized classical guitar strings...nylon core with bronze windings. What I'd love to be able to design is a transitional string that more smoothly bridges the voicing gap between wound and unwound guitar strings whether they're nickel, stainless, or bronze wound. Particularly with electric strings, the difference between a wound D and plain G is horrible; wound G to unwound B on acoustic sets.

Rick Turner wrote:Ahh, another time travel portal to the past! Top photo at at the infamous Chicken Ranch (I can't tell if that's Frank Fuller or Ron...that was Frank's bench to the guy's immediate right; mine to the right of that), lower left photo taken in the back electronics lab section of 60 Brady St., lower right being the Pretzel guitar with it's final pickups/electronics setup.

Note my comments re. strings in the article. I have gotten to participate in the design of one type of bass string set...what are now sold as the Thomastik-Infeld acoustic bass strings and that I use on my Renaissance instruments. They're like oversized classical guitar strings...nylon core with bronze windings. What I'd love to be able to design is a transitional string that more smoothly bridges the voicing gap between wound and unwound guitar strings whether they're nickel, stainless, or bronze wound. Particularly with electric strings, the difference between a wound D and plain G is horrible; wound G to unwound B on acoustic sets.

Just to add a completely shameless plug for Rick and the Ren instruments....

I continue to be absolutely flattened by my Ren 6 (bass). It is hands down the most unbelievable fretless I have ever played. The neck is amazing, he quality of workmanship is outstanding The sound and tone is transparent, woody, growly while still maintaining a unique warmth and depth.
The strings are unique as well. They take a bit of getting used to as they feel like much less tension that standard strings. But, once the initial squirrely-ness is over, they too are wonderful.

Worcester/ Providence area Bass player, looking to hook up and play some tunes!!

My friend Rick Lincoln has a bass you made. It looks like a Fender and has a piezo pick up unless my 20 year old memory is wrong. It sounds more like an upright than any other electric bass I have ever heard.

Matt, that's one of my early Electroline basses. I stopped making them for a while, but we're about to start back up. We'll do 4, 5, and 6 string versions and they'll have magnetic/piezo blending electronics. The main hangup has been hand making the piezo pickup assemblies, but I think I'm going to go for some 3D printed parts that will make the whole thing much more do-able.